Perinatal substance abusers. Psychological and social characteristics

• Published in: The journal of nervous and mental disease Vol. 181; no. 8; p. 509
• Main Authors: Haller, D L, Knisely, J S, Dawson, K S, Schnoll, S H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-08-1993
• Subjects: Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Comorbidity; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Educational Status; Female; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Personality Disorders - diagnosis; Personality Disorders - epidemiology; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications - diagnosis; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Prevalence; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychological Tests; Puerperal Disorders - diagnosis; Puerperal Disorders - epidemiology; Severity of Illness Index; Sleep Wake Disorders - diagnosis; Sleep Wake Disorders - epidemiology; Social Class; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation
• ISSN: 0022-3018
• DOI: 10.1097/00005053-199308000-00006

Forty perinatal substance abusers were administered multiple psychosocial, addiction, and psychological measures before beginning treatment. Results indicate that these patients are limited intellectually, educationally, financially, and emotionally. Psychiatric comorbidity was high, with 45% having non-substance abuse axis I diagnoses and 75% having confirmed (by two or more tests) axis II pathology. The most frequently identified axis I disorders were depression and anxiety. The most frequently detected personality disorders were antisocial, borderline, paranoid, and dependent. The average IQ was 87 (low average range) and nearly one third of the sample were found to be somewhat impaired intellectually. These data suggest that treatment programs must take psychological characteristics into account if they are going to succeed in helping these women achieve and maintain abstinence.